The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-07

ministration. Rather it Is to be laid at the
door Of Democratic heelers who have stuffed
ballot boxes and forged returns until the de-
cent men of the party have been filled with
disgust. 1t is true Cleveland pardoned one
of the most notorious of these thieves, and
in that way may have contributed to the de-
moralization.
Mr.. Kimball thinks the high license bill
will not suppress any saloons in New York
and Brooklyn. Perhaps that is why the
rumse Hers fought it, and the Democratic
representatives voted against it. They
agreed with the Prohibitionists that it was
not strong enough temperance measure,
and that if they couldn't have prohibition
they would take free rum. Mr.. Kimball is
entitled to take that view of it if he wants
to. This is free country
The Hon. Joseph Z. Mcdonald, iamiliarly
called "Old Saddlebags," has been express
ing his views on the Cleveland administra-
tion and some other matters pretty freely
He thinks Cleveland could sweep the coun-
try in 1888 If he would only take some line
Of policy and shape it," by which the ex-
Senator means probably that there is a good
deal of doubt about his sweeping the country
unless he hurries up and warns the cold
toes Of the boys" Coming from Indiana
he of course thinks civil service is humbug,
and so expresses himself, and that the civil
service law is not good for republican
form of government. Mcdonald is generally
reckoned as one of the most progressive of
the Indiana statesmen, yet he appears not to
have got beyond the Jackson era Where
foil and nf he xl -.
difficult to imagine.
"1he merchants of Bangor naturally enough
are goodNdeal exercised over the advance
in freight rates on goods shipped to and
from that city by rail- If this advance is
maintained then Bangor has got to send and
receive most Of its freight by water, and that
1t is now preparing to do. Heretofore there
has been discrimination in favor Of Bangor
on account, we suppose, of the fact that the
railroad was competing at that point with
the water routes. 1t looks as if there was
nothing in the interstate commerce law
which the Maine Central processes to be act
Ing under to prevent the continuance Of some
discrimination. The long and short haul
section OF the bill in obedience to which the
rate has been advanced reads as follows
Andt y small pc unlawful Tor any common car
rer subject to the provisions OF this act to charge
or receive any greater compensation in the aggre-
Kate Tor the transportation of passengers or of
circumstances and conditions for a shorter than
for longer distance over the same line IN the
same direction, the shorter being included within
the longer distance; but this shall not be CON
slfueu as authorizing any common carrier within
ine Terms Of THIS act to charge and receive
great compensation for a shorter as for longer
distance Provided hoaoever, That upon applica-
tlon TO the Commission appointed under the pro-
special cases after investigation by the Commits
sion, be authorized to charge less for longer than
sengers or property; and the Commission nav
from time TO time prescribe the extent to which
ucn a t common carrier may be relieved
from the operation OF the section of this act.
The phrase under substantially similar
circumstances and conditions" would seem
to furnish a chance for excepting Ban
gor. The conditions under which freight is
transported to and from Bangor are not SUBJ
stantiaIly similar to those under which it is
transported to and from interior towns that
have no water communication. As Com
missioner Fink says in an article in the
Railway Review, discrimination in favor of
such points exists in the nature of things
1t is not unjust; it is not the result of the ar
bitrary action Of the railroad transportation
companies, who are compelled to regulate
their charges in accordance with circumstan-
ces and conditions Of the situation as they
find them" There is little doubt that in case
like that of Bangor If the question was SUBJ
mitted to the commission they would decide
that 1t was one that the law intended to ex-
cept 1t is very doubtful, however, If they
would concede to Bangor so grea. an advan-
tage as it has been enjoying in the past
Bangor merchants have been having an I'M
commonly good thing in the way of freight |
rates, and that is why they feel the change |
so keenly.